


loyal is just another word for clingy

by my_dear_man



Category: Gintama
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Bathtubs, Character Death, Comedy, Crime Fighting, Edo Period, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Build, Spirit Animals, partners in crime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-10 13:09:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6986398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/my_dear_man/pseuds/my_dear_man
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kondo was actually right about one thing, Hijikata needs to move on for the better. That dojo held so many wonderful memories of the past. Before they became Shensugumi and before Hijikata's smile turned dull and forced. After his brother's death, he can't seem to let go. "Why are you so determined about this ugly shack? You're not going to rot in here like those nerds that never move out of their mother's home after hitting 30, are ya?" said the sly fox</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. backstories are the windows to the soul

_"Toshi, you little squirt. Come here!"_ Tamegorou tried his best to trap his little brother in his arms and tickle him untill he'a bursting with laughter. The Hijikata family was once huge but know only the two siblings remained and their dojo was filled with the siblings laughter and chatters. Not to mention the fights that they often have over who has to do the chores.

 _"Hahahaha!! Stop it! Haha! You're so mean!"_ Toshi squirmed in his brother's clutches trying to free himself from the tickles that came his way. Mostly, it was his fault for not doing the morning chores like scrubbing the floors and making sure the chickens were fed. Instead of getting scolded like how his mother used to. His brother would spoil him with soft smiles and rarely did he got mad. Often times, he was playful and childish but sometimes he needed act like an adult when the days were rough.

Tamegorou knew taking in this child was his responsibility and his parents died years before Toshi was adopted into the family. Nevertheless, he was happy because he finally has someone to call little brother.

 _"Now, care to tell me why you didn't wash the laundry?"_  The tickle fight stopped and Toshi sat on top of his brother's lap while his eyes were darting left and right, afraid his brother might actually be angry with him.

_"Uhhh...I was just hungry so I grabbed a snack first."_

_"Riiighht, then you fell asleep because of that full belly of yours."_ Tamegorou patted Toshi's tummy with a playful grin. _"Hmmm, with the clothes not washed, I guess we have to cancel our training for today."_

 _"What?! No, I wanna train with Kondo today!"_  Toshi loves training. A day without a sword in his hands is a day wasted. "Well then, hurry up and wash those clothes."

Toshi grabbed the basket of dirty clothes and a large wooden pail that he purposely left near the dojo's enterance and ran as fast as his tiny feet could carry him to the nearby river. Toshi's family dojo was built deep in the forest but the children and teens who wanted to train there had to travel through the path that curved upwards to the dojo. The place was surrounded with dense trees and the creatures that lurk behind those thick vegetation all lived peacefully. Toshi could hear the familiar sound of running water and ran faster.

He saw the river and placed the basket and pail beside him and quickly got to work. Filling up the pail with the river's water and one by one washed the clothes using cheap soap that his brother really likes. His yukata sleeves were tied up so that it wouldn't get in his way and made his work ten times easier. About half and hour and half of the laundry washed, something interrupted him.

_SPLISH! SPLASH!_

_"Oh great. Is someone taking a bath in the river again.'_

Toshi really didn't want his clothes to stink up like old guy's sweat. He stopped scrubbing and left to check out the ruckus that was happening at far end of the river. As he got closer, he heard weird chirping sounds. He finally found what was making those noises. It was a silver fured fox struggling to stay afloat in the river. Its feet and paws frantically trying to find something it could grab onto as it yelped in distress.

Toshi quickly scanned the area for anything that he could use to save that poor fox from drowning. The raven haired boy saw a weak old branch that was still attached to a dead tree. It was his only option at that moment. Without much thought, Toshi broke off the branch and a few seconds later he was running towards the fox that was being swept away by the current.

Luckily, the current wasn't too strong and gave him time to sprint ahead and aimed the branch infront of the silver fox. _"Gotcha!"_

The fox bit down on the branch with its teeth and it held tight for dear life. The boy pulled the branch to dry land and saw the fox making its way out of the river. The fox shook its whole wet body, drying out its wet droopy fur. Toshi stared at the odd creature with fascination. Sure, he has seen dozens of foxes in his lifetime but never has he layed eyes on a fox with glistening silver white fur. The fox was busy licking its fur and noticed the boy staring so intensely at it. It seemed almost flustered. The fox barked at Toshi like it was angry with him. _"Hey, I saved your life, ya know!_ " The boy couldn't believe he was fighting with a fox, he curled his fist in anger. Toshi winced when he felt a sharp pain from both his hands.

He hissed when he saw splinters covering his palms and blood started to drip from the cuts. Toshi didn't realised that the branch had tiny thorns all over it. The fox noticed the boy's wounds and slowly it walked towards him. _"W-What?"_ Toshi crouched down and the silver fox started licking the wound clean. It licked away the blood on both palms and the only thing that Toshi could do was stare. He felt the fox's sandpaper tongue cleaning his cuts. His palms felt slightly better and the blood was already clotting up the splinters. He stared at his palms and looked back at the fox to say thank you but....it was gone.

The boy stood there, looking around to see if he could spot that weird fox. Toshi washed his hands and continued his chores but that image of the fox still wandered in his thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~

After he finished washing and hanging the clothes to dry out, he dashed happily to begin his samurai training with the other dojo pupils. _"Yo Toshi, ready for another butt whooping today?"_ The gorilla faced teen named Kondo Isao was waiting patiently for the black haired boys arrival. The dojo was filled with young boys and teens waiting for their instructor to begin the lessons.

 _"The only butt whooping that's gonna happen is yours."_ The two boys were suited up with their gears and gloves. and they were ready to start the first match of the day. Toshi held out his wooden sword tightly at his opponent while Kondo was taking his time stretching out his arms and legs. The other boys were sitting down, eager to witness the battle in front of them. Tamagorou stood between the spirited boys and held out his hand to signal the match.

_"Hijikata Toshirou against Kondo Isao. Start!!"_

~~~~~~~~~~~

 _"Buddy, are you sulking?"_ Kondo playfully punched Toshi's shoulder. The kid was awfully quiet during lunchtime and Kondo noticed he barely touched his mayonnaise filled rice balls that his brother made.

 _"W-What? No, I'm not!"_ Toshi was trying his best not too sound embarrassed especially in front of Kondo. Yet, he still felt disappointed because he lost the match to the gorrila. He can't deny that Kondo was strong at what he does. No wonder the other boys looked up to him. He knew that eventually his soft and goofy nature will lead him to good things.

 _"Kondo, have you ever spotted a silver fox near the forest?"_ That incident he faced by the river still didn't want to leave his brain. 

 _"Actually, I've heard rumours bout that fox. I heard from the town folks that it's a rare albino fox, the ones that could be worth millions but the villagers nearby said that it could be a spirit."_ Kondo was so focused on telling Toshi his stories, he didn't realize that a group of boys sneakingly shoved a stag beetle down his yukata.  _"AHHH!! DAMN YOU TWITS!!!"_ The group of boys dashed out of the dojo as they laugh to their heart's content while Kondo was ready to drown those annoying kids in the river. Toshi could only smile seeing his friends antics and slowly his appetite came back and quickly gobbled up his home made mayonnaise rice balls. Suddenly, a pair of hands touched the bruises on his palms. 

 _"What happened here?"_ He saw his brother's worried face and that was enough to make him feel guilty. He quickly swallowed his lunch and wiped his stained lips.

 _"I fell near the river and got scratches on my hands."_ His brother burst out laughing and Toshi could only blush at his pathetic attempt of making excuses.

 _"Wow. You really  are terrible at lying."_ Tamegorou chuckled as his hands never lets go of his little brother. Toshi stayed silent. Honestly, he didn't want to tell the incident that happened with the silver fox and felt like he wanted that scene to stay a secret.

 _"I understand if you don't want to tell me but please be careful next time. I don't know what I would do if you got terribly hurt. I promised myself to take care of you so you could be a great samurai."_ Toshi couldn't help but ask and wonder; why?

 _"Why? I'm not even related to you and when you call me by my full name, it feels weird. I don't deserve this Hijikata name."_ For some time, he kept this to himself. He didn't like people mentioning his last name because it wasn't even his to begin with. Toshi never knew his real name even if he was born into a rich family. After loosing his mother and home, there was nothing left for him there.

 _"Really? You don't like that name? Aww, pity. I gave that name to you."_ His brother could only give him a weak smile and patted Toshi's black scruffy hair.

 _"W-Wait! I take it back, I love this name! Best name of the century!"_ Toshi absolutely hated making his brother sad. He waved his arms around like an idiot, trying to cheer him up.

His brother started laughing and soon Toshi was laughing as well, both of them clutching their stomachs with grins stretching wide on their faces.

The months went by fast like days tick by like hours. Everything was nearly perfect for Toshi but good times never last long for a main character.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

 _"Big..brother..."_ The floor was crimson red and the air was tight and stuffy. Three men stood with eyes fiercely locked onto a small boy in front of the door. On the floor lay his brother. His brother who's probably dead. Toshi didn't have time to think. Instantly, he lunged himself towards his brother's bloodied sword that sat beside him. Before the men could yell or pull out their weapon, his sword lashed out in an angry fit as his hands trembled violently. His eyes started to pool with tears making it difficult for him to see. He blinked a couple of times and realized he stabbed a man. The sword went through the man's gut like butter and blood gushed out of the crook's mouth. Toshi was quick on his feet and dodged every attack that the last two men could carry out. Everything that he learned from his brother was putting him to the test. The blade that was once heavy for him, suddenly became light and he noticed that time seemed to move slower for him. He had enough time to dodge, observe, attack, strike and kill. Toshi gasping for air when he finally realized.....he was the only living soul alive in that dojo.

His bare feet were cold from soaking in the pool of blood around him. Yet, he didn't care. None of it matters to him any more. The only thing that matters to him was his brother. He sat there with his lifeless brother, hoping it was all a dream and he would wake up and laugh like he always did during sunrise. Toshi didn't know how long he spent huddled near his brother but the police arrived and later he was brought for an investigation. 

 _"What's your name?"_ The policemen asked.

_"Hijikata Toshirou."_

He wore that name proudly and never did he doubt it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 _"Are you heading out to that place again, Toshi"_ Kondo was tidying up the equipment after a hard day of training. He was still amazed at that mayonnaise addict. Years after his brother's death, he still hasn't abandoned that place. Luckily, his dojo wasn't that far away but someday....he'll have to leave it behind.

_"Don't wory. I'll be back before dinner."_

~To be continued~

 

 


	2. strange things happen to shitty people

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hijikata's first intentions was to visit his brother's grave and not wound up meeting a certain silver furred fox he once saved when he was a kid.

The dumplings' scrumptious aroma was already making Hijikata's tummy rumble and his mouth water. The granny's dumplings are always good and never did it fail to make Hijikata hungry even if he already ate before setting off to his old dojo. Hijikata's routine are always straightforward. He wakes up before dawn, helps out around the Okita's family dojo, train his ass off, eat lunch, set off to his brother's grave, go home before dinner, train some more, go to sleep, rinse and repeat. Everything was fairly simple and he rarely complained about anything. He lived with the Okita household and they were a gracious bunch, letting a gang of misfit samurais live and train in their dojo. Not to mention providing them food and they treated everyone with such a pleasant warmth that it was instantly contagious. Soon, the gang of misfits aimed to help serve the government as the new recruits for the Shiensegumi. Kondo being their leader and Hijikata being the second in command even if he was considered the second youngest in his gang.

Hijikata's mind wandered elsewhere as he made his way leisurely towards his desired destination. He passed through some familiar places like the old temple school near the market, the sweet shop that sold ridiculously sweet dangos and the old playground that was left abandoned a few years back. A path leading through thick forest trees was in his sight and he smiled weakly at the moss covered stone sign that sat near the path. The carvings on the stone sign looked faded and worn out. Hijikata dusted the carvings and clearly it said; 

_"This path leads to: The Hijikata Family Dojo, The River, The Firework Shrine."_

Hijikata noticed something that was certainly new and out of place. A sloppy writing scribbled next to the names of the other places with a black marker and it said;  _The Odd Jobs._ Hijikata stared at the writing for quite a while, trying to remember the last time he heard or seen that name. He remembered hearing a couple of rumors regarding the small business from his gang members but he never did pay any attention to recent gossip around his village. He shrugged his shoulders and made his merry way through the forest. Luckily, his dojo was not too far unlike the shrine and it only took him around 5 minutes worth of walking to arrive there. The old building slowly came to his sight and he smiled seeing that it was still clean and well maintained, thanks to himself for taking care of the place every once a week. Kondo would always argue with him, saying that it was too much of a hassle and Kondo hated seeing Hijikata overwork himself for something so minuscule. The mayo addict didn't really listen yet he knows that Kondo was telling the truth that he can't deny. 

He walked past the wooden gates that surrounded the building and near the entrance was his brother's grave that lay in a middle of a sunflower patch that he once took care of with his brother. Hijikata never missed a day without watering the sunflowers and sweeping the dried leaves in the dojo's yard. Years passed since the gruesome event but the dojo looked the same as if time never moved an inch. He kept everything clean and well. He chuckled for a second, thinking of how pointless all this cleaning, watering, sweeping and dusting because in the end. This dojo will eventually rot along with time. He tried not to overthink things too much but that was his specialty. He headed towards the shed to grab his faithful old watering can.

_"You sure are hardworking, huh?"_

The sudden voice immediately grabbed Hijikata's attention. His head quickly turned towards the voice but sadly, nothing. His spine tingled for a moment, thinking that he might be hallucinating in the middle of the day or even worse, a burglar might have broke inside.  _"Who's there?!"_ His hand tightly gripping the handle of his loyal sword with eyes searching for any signs of  movements. 

_"Oi, put that thing away. It's just me."_

_"B-Brother?"_

_"Brother, my ass! Down here, idiot."_

_"Eh?"_ He looked down and saw his feet and beside his feet was a fox. A silver furred, red eyed, fluffy fox. Instantly, the memories that happened near the river came flooding back in his head. Hijikata backed a few steps and the fox sat lazily right where it was.  _"Why the fuck are you talking?"_ `Hijikata felt like he needed to bash his head against a wall to make sure that he didn't spiral into insanity. The fox didn't reply right away and instead it stretched itself while it let out a loud yawn. Even when it yawned, it sounded like a human's voice. The fox licked it's lip and stared at Hijikata with the same red glint in its eyes. 

 _"Look, our country was invaded by space aliens and now we have to tolerate living with them so a talking fox is not that strange."_ Hijikata blinked a couple of times, trying to accept the fact that this fox was well aware of Japan's war against Amantos. The fox stood up and walked closer to the mayo addict, it sniffed the air as its big bushy tail was waving excitedly at something.  _"Can I have some? Pretty please~"_ The fox looked like it was wiling to beg for a bite of those meat-filled dumplings that he just bought. The fox kept staring at Hijikata with big round begging eyes and its ears drooped down as it started making whining sounds. Hijikata forcefully had to admit that the fox was really cute but cuteness won't win him over that easily.

_"Over my dead body, these are for my brother."_

_"Oh, then how about I ask your brother?"_

_"What?"_ Hijikata felt like his heart might pop out of his rib cage if he knew that his brother turned into a ghost, haunting the dojo forever.

_"I mean metaphorically, of course."_

_"No."_

_"I knew it wouldn't be that easy."_ The fox huffed and walked towards the grave. He sat quietly in front of it like he was praying for the spirit to find peace. Hijikata didn't want to waste anymore time and he already wasted plenty when he started arguing with a talking silver fox. He'll deal with the fox later. In the meantime, he wanted to pray for his brother. Like he does every single day. He placed the dumplings on the tiny saucer near the grave and clasps his hands together. Everything was quiet and calm, just the way Hijikata likes it. A long silence engulfed them at that moment but it didn't last long.

  _"You're leaving after this, right? I don't wanna deal with foxes running all over my yard."_ Hijikata doesn't really enjoy company but simply he likes the quaint loneliness of the place. He would take naps, read a book or tend to his sunflower garden. It's like having all the place to yourself and no would order you around. 

_"Ah, how mean. Says the guy that could never let go of this dojo."_

Hijikata clicked his tongue and tried to bit back a yell.  _"Well, why the fuck are you here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be eating chickens from a farm or something? Oh and don't you even think of eating my chickens, I already gave them to someone else."_ Hijikata was a bit heartbroken when he needed to give away those chickens to an old lady that looked after the shrine not too far away from here. In fact, the shrine was located even deeper inside the forest. Nevertheless, the old lady knew how to create the most amazing firework show during the New Year's Festival.

_"I'm on a diet so, I'll pass. But, I never did repay you for last time."_

_"Last time?"_

_"Oh boy, did you forget?"_

_"No, but....it was not a big deal, really."_

_"Saving my life is huge deal and now I feel like I need to stay close to you because...."_

A pause. The fox gazed at Tamegorou's picture frame that sat nicely on top of the grave's shelf alongside the plate of dumplings and a cup of sake.

_"I wasn't fast enough to save you during that bloodbath."_

~~~~~~~~~~

 _"Why are you still following me?"_ Hijikata was heading towards the old shrine but noticed that the damn fox was trailing behind him as well. He bought too much dumpling and apparently lost his appetite so he decided that it would be nice if he gave some to that old lady. Hijikata wondered how his chickens were doing. Surely, they were big and plump by now.

_"That's my line. I'm going to home, of course."_

_"To your nest?"_

_"My nest? More like my comfy couch and TV."_

_"Wait, you live at the shrine?!"_

_"Yup."_

Hijikata thought about it and it would make sense that the fox was mooching off that lady since that shrine keeper loved taking in stray animals. Hijikata walked a bit faster, afraid that he might not make it back in time for dinner and Sougo would probably devour his food before Mitsuba could save it for him. Damn that brat.

_"Woah, slow down there buddy. How can I possibly keep up with your race-walking."_

_"Keep up if ya can, dumbass"_ Hijikata chuckled under his breath when he saw the fox still trying to match his fast pace.

 _"Heh, not a problem"_  

_PWOOF!!_

Hijikata was blinded for a second when a thick smoke suddenly came out of no where. He rubbed his eyes and his jaw dropped when he saw the fox turned into a fucking human with a pair of cat ears and matching tail.  _"What the-"_

 _"THIS IS MY TRUE FORM!"_ The silver permed man cackled evilly like he was some sort of villain from the Dragon Ball series.

Hijikata didn't even blink and stared intensely at the fox man. _"I know, I know. It's a lot too sink in but let'_   _s just continue walking shall we? By the way, are those dumplings for Granny?"_

_"Y-Yeah..."_

The two continued walking like nothing ever happened. Hijikata walked behind that strange man and suddenly he remembered something Kondo once told him when he was a kid. Something about a spirit disguised as a silver fox. Hijikata despised horror stories and he couldn't help but kept staring at the man, eyeing to make sure that he had a pair of visible feet. Luckily, he does. The mayo addict swallowed hard and finally opened his mouth.  _"W-What's your name?"_

 _"The name's Gintoki. Sakata Gintoki."_ His head turned back to face Hijikata with that same spark in his eyes whenever he was excited.

The man rested his hands at the back of his head, walking like how a kid would walk as he playfully hummed the Doraemon theme song. His tail swinging lazily and his ears twitched at the sound of owls waking up from their slumber. Hijikata wanted to tell Gintoki how ridiculous he was acting. Gintoki doesn't strike out as the most mature man he's ever seen but then again Kondo was not that different from Gintoki.  _"The sun is about to go down soon. Wanna stay for tea at my place?"_

Hijikata looked up and the sky was nearly dark. The sunlight was gone and the dark clouds were invading the sky. He feared that the rain might pour soon because the air smelled wet and damp. Like it or not, he should find shelter until the rain stops. Besides, tomorrow is his day off and he's sure that Kondo and Mitsuba won't mind. Moreover, he still needs to digest everything that's been happening to him and that fox. He feels like the fox knows something that might help him track down the same group of bandits that caused him to lose his brother. That was not an opportunity he was willing to let go.

 _"I guess.."_ Hijikata avoided his eyes and tried not to sound like he honestly wants to hangout at his place.

_"Hey now, don't show me your inner tsundere. I have a thing for them."_

_"Gross."_

_"Act more tsundere please?"_

_"So you want me to beat the shit outta ya?"_   He grinned.

 

~To be continued~

 


	3. coffee milk won't fix everything but strawberry milk can

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mayo addict learns more than he intended to. He just wanted a lead, a clue or rather anything that could bring him closer to finding those group of bandits and the fox in front of him is being stupid again.

_"Granny, I'm home. I brought a fr-"_

_SMMAACK!_

Before Gintoki could enter the house or even blink, a wooden flip flop flew across the living room and smacked against Gintoki's head and the poor fox spirit fell backwards with a huge thud. Hijikata wanted to laugh and he could already feel his lips curving into a mocking smirk. Hijikata did his best to put on a straight face, he stood in front of the doorway and bowed politely.

 _"Pardon the intrusion. I'm Hijikata Toushiro. Gintoki-san invited me here."_ Hijikata saw an old lady holding a wooden flip flop as she gave an almost honest smile. _"Ah, sorry for the sudden commotion but I was just aiming this slipper at that useless silver perm over there."_ The lady marched over towards Gintoki and grabbed him by the back of his yukata collar and forcefully dragged him to the kitchen while the silver perm was still knocked out cold.

_"Hijikata-kun, you can wait in the living room while I prepare tea for us."_

The lady gave a friendly wave and seconds later disappeared into the kitchen. Hijikata sat nervously on the lumpy couch and his eyes started to wander around, trying to keep his mind distracted from the sheer awkwardness that he was feeling.

The house was small and quaint. Nothing fancy or suffocating like those typical old hags that hoards dolls, antique china tea sets and collects stray cats for a living. The old lady's house was a bit spacious because there were not many furniture that the she kept. A long three cushioned sofa with a matching armchair on the right. At the middle, sat a bamboo styled coffee table that must have cost a few yen and of course, a regular sized TV for clearing your thoughts during mindless days. The decorating was simple and humble and almost feels like how a mother would decorate their house. The curtains had soft colors with lovely flower patterns scattered here and there and the carpet felt welcoming whenever the owner comes back home. Hijikata's living room tour took a sudden a halt when he heard pots and pans clattering inside the kitchen. He heard Gintoki yelp and it made his chest tickled.

 _"Oiii!!! Would you cut me some slack?! Argh!"_ More sounds of pots crashing.

_"I gave you more than enough time to pay your rent. Honestly, I could make a 30 page list out of the reasons that you come up with!"_

_"Alright, I'll try to cough up the money before the month ends. You're so mean, miss landlady~"_

_"No more miss nice landlady. If I don't see the money , you'll be sleeping with Hasegawa in the box outside."_

Rent? Hijikata never thought that the fox needed to pay to live in the lady's house. He pictured Gintoki lazing round the house as the old lady's pet fox while he eats and sleeps and does nothing else, other than being an idiot. Moments later the old lady came back with steaming tea and biscuits, ready for him to enjoy. Hijikata thanked the lady and gave the extra dumplings he bought for her. The lady gratefully accepted it and asked Hijikata to just call her Otose. 

 _"I don't really like being too formal with my guests. Do you smoke, Hijikata-kun?"_ Otose pulled out a packet of cigarettes from her pocket as she took a piece and carefully lit it between her thin lips. She puffed out a smoke and she was careful not to direct the smoke towards her guest.

 _"Umm, yes. How did you know?"_ Hijikata grabbed a cigarette from the packet and borrowed Otose's lighter. He sighed as his body started to relax from the tobacco and nicotine. It was not necessarily a healthy habit but what the heck, Hijikata is already a loyal smoker. Never was he far away from his cigarettes or a trusty bottle of mayonnaise. He had to admit that the lady had a wonderful taste for cigarette brands. He's smoking something that is almost worth a dozen of his normal packets of cigarettes combined. Might as well enjoy it.

 _"I could already smell tobacco from you, the moment you set foot inside."_ Otose chuckled as she enjoyed her smoke. Hijikata could feel his cheeks glow pink from that embarrasing fact. The two chatted for a while and Hijikata enjoyed being with her. She looked like the type that might listen to your complaints or give you snarky advice when you find yourself at a dead end. Otose looked old with her sunken cheeks and rough hands but Hijikata felt like she acted much younger than her age. She was energetic, always ready to talk about everything and listen to your stories that might tickle her interest. Otose was good company and suddenly, Hijikata really wished that his brother was still alive so that he would meet this lovely lady that took care of the Firework Shrine. Then again, Hijikata always wishes for his brother to still be alive almost everyday.

The rain finally poured and Hijikata was surprised to see it was raining cats and dogs. He could easily hear the wind howl and the sound of pelting rain that filled the entire house. He can't deny it. If it weren't for the fox inviting him over, he would have been soaking wet or probably caught the cold by now.

 _"You should probably go upstairs and take a bath. Bathroom's to the right near the hallway."_ Otose got up from the sofa and quickly brought Hijikata a towel.  _"Better hurry. Wouldn't want that fox to wait."_

_"Wait, you still haven't told me about how you knew-"_

_"That's a story for tomorrow, dear."_

_~~~~~~~~~~_

Hijikata sat peacefully in the bathtub with steam slowly rising up from the warm waters that surrounded him. Hijikata's legs spread out, covering the bathtub entirely and claiming his rightful spot in the tub. Well, someone else's tub. He slumped back as he let out a tired sigh, letting the warm water overflow and eventually spill on the bathroom floor. He sat back and thought over a few things like he normally does whenever he's taking his sweet time bathing. He suddenly remembered Kondo and Mitsuba, hoping they wouldn't get too worried and round up a search party like last time when he came home late from drinking. Then, he planned on giving his dojo a good clean from top to bottom, once he's done with police work for tomorrow. He'll buy himself a new broom and mop, restock the shed with fertilizer, maybe even buy those weird pink flamingo things for his sunflower garden, or even-

The bathroom door slid open with such force that it nearly made Hijikata yelp. He looked over and frowned.

 _"Oh, you're naked Hijikata-kun."_ The silver permed man showed up at the most inappropriate timing. Gintoki casually made his way inside the bathroom while his hand held a wooden pail and a bar of soap while he wore nothing else except a small towel that was wrapped around his waist.

 _"Knock first, will ya?!"_ The mayo addict yelled and threw a bar of soap at the fox freak but he managed to dodge it easily. Hijikata had no problem bathing with other people but when they make a sudden entrance while he was daydreaming, it gets to his nerves.

 _"Relax. I'm here to wash up. Sheesh."_ Gintoki unwrapped his towel and tossed it away at the laundry basket that sat in the corner of the bathroom. He was fully exposed with his weird fluffy fox tail that swung lazily around him. He headed towards the only bathtub in the bathroom and it took Hijikata half a second to realize that Gintoki was getting in the tub with him. 

_"O-Oi, what are y-you-"_

Gintoki got in the tub and Hijikata instantly pulled his legs away and sat with his legs glued together and his hands resting on his knees.  _"Obviously, I'm not gonna wait for you to finish. Besides, this saves water."_ Hijikata was just glad that the bathtub could actually fit two people and now this bastard was on the opposite side of the tub, staring at him with dead fish eyes and those fox ears that still made him feel uneasy. He bit his lips, trying to make sure that the embarrassment he was feeling won't be seen through his face. Especially, not from that this guy. 

 _"So, did Granny told you yet?"_ Hijikata flinched when he heard his voice.

_"About w-what?"_

_"Me, of course."_

_"Uh, no. Not yet, that is."_

_"Tch, that hag. She likes to keep my stories the best for last."_ He pouted.

There was a comforting silence that filled the room and only the sound of rippling water could be hear with the smell of lavender that filled Hijikata's head. It was calm for a while before Hijikata remembered something. That fox never really told him. 

_"You still never told me."_

_"Hmm?"_

_"The full story."_

_"I was hesitant a bit because you were really quiet at that time so..."_

Gintoki rubbed the back of his neck while his red glowing eyes avoiding eye contact with him. Hijikata was murderously quiet at that time and never asked a single question when the fox told him that he could potentially save his brother from those bandits. That his brother would still be breathing till this day. Talking to him and everything. Unfortunately, the fox arrived too late. Everything was stained with blood and his brother laid lifeless in front of him. 

 _"It's not your fault."_ He paused. Feeling like something was caught in his throat. His hands trembled a bit but he kept a straight face. Gintoki looked at the mayo freak with worried eyes.

 _"Not my fault, huh?"_ Gintoki looked down and saw his reflection in the water. 

 _"You don't need to be that nice, Hijikata-kun."_ Gintoki breathed.

 _"It's really not your fault, dumbass!"_ Hijikata raised his voice and it startled Gintoki, creating ripples in the bathtub.

 _"Fate's just a bitch."_ There was no use stopping the inevitable and there was no use staying behind as well. Hijikata is trapped between two. Yes, of course, he wants to move on. He can just leave that place and never give a shit about it again. Yet, he keeps coming back no matter what. Even during the busiest days, he'll be there to pray in front of his grave and look after the dojo. Why is that? Maybe he's hoping for something that will never happen. He wants to leave that place but how could he easily throw away those memories he collected with his brother. Hijikata was thinking too much again. He looked at the fox and a smile bloomed from his lips. Instantly, Hijikata could feel blood rushing all the way to his entire face.

Gintoki gave a small laugh and silently agreed. Hijikata flinched when he accidentally touched Gintoki's leg with his feet and he could feel his heart might give out from all the pumping that it was doing. "Y _ou used to have longer hair, right?"_ Gintoki scooted closer while his eyes looked like they were searching for something.  _"Y-Yeah."_ Gintoki smiled and pointed at his bangs.  _"You still kept that stupid V shaped bangs. That's cute."_

That's it. Hijikata grabbed one of Gintoki's legs and threw him out of the tub and the poor soul crash landed into the bathroom door, creating a gigantic hole in the middle.  _"What the hell was that for!!!!"_

 _"Did what?"_ Hijikata brushed away his V shaped bangs with his wet hands and acted like he was oblivious about what just happened just now.

 _"Boys!! What on earth is going on upstairs?"_ Otose's voice could be heard from downstairs and it was clear that she was not happy.  _"N-Nothing!"_ Gintoki yelled back while he brushed away his wet dripping hair.  _"You two come downstairs when you're done. I've got coffee milk from Shinpachi and Kagura."_

Gintoki gasped and he quickly got up and snatched his towel from the basket.  _"Who are those?"_ Hijikata asked with a furrow brow. Hijikata decided bath time was over and grabbed his towel.  

_"Oh, you still haven't heard of them?"_

_"Umm, no."_

_"We're the Odd Jobs!"_ Gintoki gave a blinding smile and dashed downstairs.

 

~To be continued~


	4. ask anything as long as you have money

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hijikata meets them, the Odd Jobs and at first, he had nothing to say. what could he possibly say? they were literally a walking disaster waiting to happen! not to mention their cocky leader, Yorozuya Gin-chan.

_"Oh my-"_ Gintoki felt like he might cry when he saw paradise in front of him. Stacks and boxes of canned coffee and strawberry milk on Otose's living room table. Piled up higher and higher which seemed endless.  _"K-Kagura, Shinpachi, how did you?"_ Gintoki felt like his voice was stuck in his throat and he tried to control his tail that was swinging excitingly at the spectacular sight. Hijikata could only stare at the heaps of milk that the kids in front of him were unpacking.

 _"We bought them, of course."_ The cheongsam wearing girl smirked as she grabbed a can and proceeded to chug it down.

 _"Kagura, stop making lies that are even impossible to begin with."_ The frail boy with round nerdy classes suddenly shouted from behind the boxes. The girl gave a pout in response and crossed her arm.  _"If it wasn't for me, we wouldn't have grabbed all these coffee and strawberry milk, stupid Patsuan."_

_"What?! You were the one who recklessly threw that giant tree for Sadaharu to play fetch and that truck crashed in front of us!!"_

_"Why are you complainin' so much? We grabbed the loot and escaped the poli-"_ Gintoki lunged in front of the China girl and forcefully covered her mouth. Hijikata could hear the orange haired girl's muffled voice while he continued staring blankly at the fox who was sweating furiously for some reason. 

_"Ah, she m-means escaped the pole dancers. Those darn bastards can't go one day without promoting us to their new moves."_

Hijikata nearly chocked on his cigarette. _"_ _Really? That's already considered a crime. Kid, if you ever see those guys again, be sure to report to me."_ The China girl pried Gintoki's hand from her mouth and asked,  _"Why should I do that?"_

 _"I'm a cop, from the Shiensengumi."_ Hijikata huffed another cloud of smoke as he turned towards Gintoki and the China girl.

 _"A-Ah, yes. We'll be sure to report them next time, Mr. Policeman."_ Gintoki gave a larger than normal smile at him which made Hijikata wanting to punch that slacker even more. Hijikata made his way to the couch and sat down as he crushed his cigarette bud in the nearest ashtray in front of him. He could hear those three idiots bickering about the coffee and strawberry milk that they collected and not knowing what to do with a large quantity of canned milk. Surely, they were not planing to drink those awful sugary drinks everyday. Hijikata suddenly felt out of place and decided entirely to wait out the rain. Then he'll be able to dash his way straight to his turf and do whatever he wants but with permission from Mitsuba, of course. 

 _"OH! i totally forgot about something!"_ Gintoki suddenly yelled out and the whole room went silent. Gintoki stood in front of Hijikata with eyes still gleaming but from afar it looked like he was half asleep. 

 _"So, we're the Odd Jobs. Ready for anything you want us to do. I'm the the founding father of this wonderful establishment and these are my mindless underlings. That cheongsam wearing Yato is Kagura and that pair of glasses floating in mid air is Shinpachi."_ Gintoki pointed out to his workers and Kagura was glaring at Gintoki like she could tear him a new asshole.

 _"Another glasses jokes."_ Shinpachi sighed, seeing as though Gintoki has made tons of these 'bland characters with glasses' jokes before.

 _"What do you guys actually do?"_ Hijikata was still unsure like what are the normal things their clients ask for. The word 'anything' sounded a little vague. Anything could be anything and it sounded suspicious as hell.

_"Oh, the usual. Going around solving problems and earning a bit of cash from part time jobs now and then."_

_"That's sad."_

_"What?! This is a perfect business that I'm running excluding the fact that we sometimes have to starve because we're not earning enough."_

_"Hah! From the looks of it, you're running a shitty business. I doubt you even pay them well."_

_"Back to the main topic!!!"_

_"Actually, you never really-"_ Kagura joined the topic because mainly it was regarding her pay. That was not a chance she was letting go that easily.

 _"Shhhh! Kagura, dear. I don't want you to be taken away by the social police. Would you rather be with social service or with Gin-chan?"_ The fox's ears were folded back, signaling that Gintoki was irritated beyond words.

 _"At least the orphanage has food."_ Kagura started drooling while Shinpachi nodded in agreement.

 _"What the-What are you nodding for?! I gave you food, ya know."_ Gintoki yelled and Hijikata felt a smirk forming on his lips.

They kept bickering and talking and joking until Otose brought out light snacks for them and they passed their time with more taking and eating. Otose-san forbids any heavy eating during night times and she had to make sure that Kagura was far from the rice cooker. Hijikata felt irritated but in a nice way and not the kind that made his skin prick and his blood boil. The arguing and talking felt almost natural to him and it didn't take long for him to start recognizing the kids and their tiny habits. How Kagura would end her words with '-aru' and how Shinpachi would yell at the nonsense that Kagura and Gintoki spouted from their mouths.  Hijikata has always been bad around kids but thank goodness, everything was still in one piece. 

Time flew by and Hijikata noticed that the rain stopped and it was almost midnight. 

 _"I better get going before my chief comes out to find me."_ Hijikata straightened his black yukata and headed towards the front door.  _"Have safe journey back, Hijikata-kun. Come by anytime."_ Otose-san waved goodbye while Kagura and Shinpachi followed. 

_"Don't get bitten by Sadaharu on your way out."_

_"Thank you for coming over, Hijikata-kun."_

Hijikata felt like he could smile but he decided not too. He gave a small wave and headed outside into the freezing night. Once he was outside, he noticed that the fox didn't say goodbye. Hijikata clicked his tongue and walked down the worn path.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hijikata's gaze softened when he passed by his dojo. He felt like he needed to stay there forever but that was just crazy thoughts coming from him again. 

_"What are you looking for?"_

The mayo freak, startled from the voice but calmed down after looking down at his feet. That sneaky silver permed fox was sitting on the ground, admiring the scenery. Hijikata sighed and continued walking.

_"Hey, really. What are you looking for?"_

_"Why are you here again?! Stop fucking following me everywhere."_ Hijikata stopped dead in his tracks and snarled at the silver fox.

_"No, can do. I owe you so the least I can do is escort you back to your place. To be honest, I'm being very generous here. If you were a bikini babe lost in the forest, I would't waste my time. You know, unless she has knockers the size of melons."_

_"Can you stop blabbering?"_ Hijikata's patient level was gradually growing thin. He gritted his teeth and walked forward with heavy steps.

 _"I know what might cheer that ugly face of yours."_ Gintoki teased and instantly a cloud of smoke blinded Hijikata's vision and making him cough. The similar tall figure appeared again but this time Gintoki held something and showed it inches from Hijikata's face.

 _"Here."_ Hijikata grabbed it from the natural perm's hand and examined it closer. It was an insignia. A small pin with a very important looking symbol forged from pure silver metal. It looked old and worn out. A yakuza insignia, maybe. Hijikata can't say for sure if it was truly a yakuza clan or it could be any mafia group or maybe just some random fancy looking pin. Hijikata has seen dozens of yakuza logo's and insignia so distinguishing one needed time and files from the Shiensengumi's researching branch.

 _"Why are you giving me this?"_ They both started walking.

 _"It might just be your **only** clue to find out your brother's killers."_ Hijikata could feel his hands turn cold and his eyes grew wide. 

_"I found that thing minutes before police took you in and swept the whole place clean. After that, I tried to find you but no luck."_

_"I moved to Edo for a bit. Training, dojo brawling and stuff."_ Hijikata fiddled with the insignia.

 _"No wonder I couldn't find you, you became a bakufu dog."_ Gintoki playfully poked Hijikata's cheeks.

 _"Oi!!"_ Hijikata slapped the freak's hands away from his face.

 _"So are you gonna track them down?"_ The sly fox asked. Hijikata nodded as his feet continued trudging down the path and the town was almost near.

_"Then, can I tag along?"_

_"Hell no."_

_"We'll see."_

Hijikata instantly turned around when he heard a soft rustle of leaves from behind. Gintoki was gone and on the ground he left a can of strawberry milk.  _"Ugh, sugar."_  

 

 __~To be continued~


End file.
